Steam-heating apparatus



B. W. McCLYMONT.

STEAM HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. 1918.

Patented May 17, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

B. w. McCLYMONT.

STEAM HEATING APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED NOV-27,1918.

1,378,252. Patented May 17, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- iiiIIIIIgIIIIIIII' a; I W? W 1 r2422? Clymont Patent No. 1,265,928 issued on May UNITED [STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRYCE W. MOGLYMONT, OE DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO PENBERTHY INJECTOR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A QQRPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

STEAM-HEATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 27, 1918. Serial No. 264,410.

To azz whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRYCE W; MoCLY- MONT, a citizen of the United States, residin at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and tate of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements v in Steam-Heating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to heating apparatus in which a hydraulic ejector operating as an exhausting device is used to produce a vacuum in the return passages of a heating system, and may be regarded as an addition to and improvement upon a hydraulic vacuum generator or pump described in Me- 14, 1918.- The object of my invention is to render the-exhausting pump described in said 'patent more eflicient and useful by the provision of a combined check valve and float valve device affording safeguards against certain irregularities in its'operation which are liable to occur under certain conditions. With this purpose and incidental objects and advantages in view I have designed and invented the novel structure hereinafter particularly described, the essential elements of my invention being pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood, however, that m invention is susceptibleof modification 1n the form and specific construction of its parts without departing from the spirit of my invention or the sco e of the claims.

n the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a heating system to which my invention is applied; and Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of a hydraulic vacuum generator and a combined check tvalve and float valve embodying my invention asso ciated therewith.

The same reference characterswindicate p v to be opened without afl'ecting' the di'a phragm when the latter is in uppermost positlon, but which=causes" such valve to be 100 shiftedwfrom open to closed position by 7 downward movement of the diaphragm from such uppermost, position under "the influence of preponderatingatmospheric" the same parts in both figu'res ofthe drawipe system 0. 1,265,928

accordance with the single shown in -McClymont Patent.

above mentioned, or the double pipe sys-.

tem herein illustrated.- Inasmuch as the latter arrangement is well known to those; skilled in the art, a brief description thereof ,will sufliceforpresent purposes. As

ing with an actuating lever 16 it may be shown in Fi communicates with steam the radiators 3, and the satlon s conducted back to the lower part of the boiler through the return piping 4. Thermostatic valves 5, constructed to permlt the passage of cold air and water vapor whlch may accumulate during periods when, the system is idle and the radiator isout of use and constructed to be closed by the actlon of the hot steam, are arranged to govern communication between the radia tors and the return system of connected p pes 4. The return pi ing is provided W1th a vertical air-pipe l forming an air trap which is connected at some convenient point above the water level of the boiler to the vacuum described.

As shown, the vacuum generating device comprises an ejector casing 8 having valvegenerating device to be next.

governed communication with a supply of closed, but by suitable connections 15 ar-;

ranged for lnauualoperation and cooperatopened to permit a flow of water through the ejector, thus creating a vacuum" within the vacuum chamber and communicating passages. The lever 16 is connected with. the diaphragm 12 ;by a link 17 having a"95 lost motion or one-Way engagement with" I 1 the lever which permits'the admission valve pressure on its outer side. r

- Accordlng to my presentinventlon, the vacuum chamber off the vacuum generating Patented May 17,1921. I I

g. 1 of thedrawings, the boiler 'f i.

pipes 2 leadingto water of conden now be described. The casing 18 of the valve is formed with a depending screwthreaded nipple 19 by means of which it may beconnected tothe air pipe 7 of the system, this nipple being formed with a spider 20 which provides a bearing for the hollow stem 21 of the float 22. The upper member or cap 23 of the casing is formed with an externally threaded nipple 24 by means of which it is secured to a threaded connection 25 formed on the lower wall of the vacuum chamber of the ejector. This nipple is bored out to form a ball chamber for the reception of a ball check-valve 26 cooperating with a seat at the bottom of the chamber, a ball-retainer 27 consisting of a diametrical cross-pin being provided to prevent the ball from getting out of the chamber. The cap 23 is provided also with a depending tubular guide block 28 arranged to slidingly receive the upper end of the valve stem 21. The coned head 29 which forms the valve member proper of the float valve is equipped with a vertical pin 30 which, as the valve'approaches closed position contacts the ball check valve and opens it. As shown the block 28 is formed with relief orifices 31 adjacent its base, and the hollow valve stem is provided with a vent opening 32 near its top.

' The function of the check valve just described is to maintain the vacuum created by the ejector throughout the return passages of the system under normal conditions, and the function of thefloat valve is to destroy said vacuum and prevent a flow of the water of condensation through the ejector under certain conditions which are liable to occur. If the boiler pressure and the vacuum produced by the action of the ejector should be such as to cause an unbalanced water level in the boiler and the return pipe, and sufficient to overcome the height of the ejector device above the balanced water level, the result would be (assuming the vacuum chamber to be directly connected with the 'air-pipe 7, without the float valve structure herein described) that the water of condensation would pass through the pump and be ejected, or siphoned out, into the sewer. Under such pressure conditions, however, wlth the arrangement herein described, the float valve 29 closes and checks the water before it reaches the ejector, and the water of condensation will return to the boiler as soon as the pressure therein becomes such that the pressure'head of the water of condensation in the return pipe exceeds the boiler pressure. When the water of condensa-tion raises the float to close the float valve, the pin 30 opens the check valve 26 and destroys any vacuum that would have a tendency to pocket the water in the body of the valve. This tendency is. further guarded against by making the stem of the float valve hollow and venting the interior above the float. As the water of condensation recedes into the boiler, the vent through the stem destroys any vacuum in the tube and therebelow and permits the water to drain away instantly.

In such installations as employ the single pipe'system, the steam pipes are connected to the'lower parts of the radiators so that any water of condensation which may form will flow toward the boiler by gravity through the steam pipes. In such case small return pipes for the return or venting of air only and connected to the upper part of the radiators are provided, this being the arrangement shown in McClymont Patent No. 1,265,928, before mentioned. This system of connected air pipes may be provided with a drain connection to the lower part of the boiler for returning to it whatever water of condensation may find its way into the air pipes, and the return air pipe of the system is connected to the float and check valve of the hydraulic pump in the same manner as the return pipe of the double pipe system hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. In a heating system, including a boiler and steam supply pipes and return passages including anair pipe and a branch pipe communicating with the boiler below its 'water level, the combination of a vacuum pump having an exhausting chamber and ejector members arranged to induce a vacuum in such chamber, and a valve device above the water level of the boiler having a float chamber provided with upper and lower openings, said chamber communicating through said lower opening with said air pipe, and saidvalve device having a float and connected valve in said float chamber arranged to prevent the passage of water through said upper opening'into said exhausting chamber.

2. In a heating system, including a boiler and steam supply pipes and return passages including an air plpe and a branch pipe communicating with the boiler below its water level, the combination of a vacuum pump having an exhausting chamber and ejector members arranged to induce a vacuum in such chamber, and a valve device above the water level of the boiler having a float chamber provided with upper an lower openings, said chamber communicating through said lower opening with said air.

pipe, and said valve device having a float and connected valve in said float chamber arranged to prevent the passage of water throughsald upper opening into sald exhausting chamber, and a check valve arranged to prevent passage of air from said exhausting chamber into said float chamber.

3. In a heating system, including a boiler and steam supply pipes and return passages including an air pipe and a branch pipe communicating w1th the boiler below its water level, the combination of a vacuum pump having an exhausting chamber and ejector members arranged to induce a vacuum in such chamber, and a valve device 1 above the water level of the boiler having a haustmg chamber,

float chamber provided with upper and lower openings, said chamber communicating through said lower opening with said air pipe and said valve device having a float and connected valve in said float chamber arranged to prevent the passage of water through said upper opening into said exand a check valve arranged to preventpassage of air-from said exhausting chamber into said float-chamber, said float valve being arranged to automatically open said check valve as such float valve closes.

4. In a heating system, including a boiler and steam supply pipes and return passages including an air plpe and a branch pipe communicating with the boiler .below its water level, the combination of a vacuum pump having an exhausting chamber and ejector members arranged to induce a vacuum in such chamber, and a valve device above the water level of the boiler havin a float chamber provided with upper an lower openings, said chamber communicating through said lower opening with said air pipe and said valve device having a float and connected valve in said float chamber arranged to prevent the passage of water through said upper opening into said exhaustlng chamber, and a check valve arranged to prevent passage of air from-said exhausting chamber into said float chamber, said float valve being equipped with a pin adapted to contact said check valve and open the latter as such float valve closes.

5. In a heating system,'including a boiler and steam supply p'pes and return passages including an air pipe and a branch pipe communicating with the boiler below its chamber and having a water level, the combination of a vacuum pump having an exhausting chamber and ejector members arranged to induce a vacuum in such chamber, and a valve device above the water level of the boiler having afloat chamber provided with upper and lower openings, said chamber communicating through said'lower opening with said air pipe and said valve device having a float and a connected vertical hollow valve stem and valve in said float chamber arranged to prevent the passage of water through said upper opening into said exhausting chamber, said hollow stem having a vent opening adjacent its upper end.

6. A heating system according to claim 2 in which said valve device includes a lower casing member forming the float chamber and a cap member having a tubular upward connection chambered to form a check valve chamber and having a depending tubular guide block adapted to slidingly receive the upper end of said valve stem.

7 A heating system according to claim 2 in which said valve device includes a lower casing member forming the float chamber and a cap member having a tubular upward connection chambered to form a check valve depending tubular guide block adapted to slidingly receive the upper end of said valve stem, said guide block being orificed near its base.

8. A heating system according to claim 2 in which said valve device includes a lower casing member forming a float chamber and a cap member having a tubular upward connectlon chambered to form a ball chamber and having a depending tubular guide block to slidingly receive the upper end of said valve stem, and in which said check valve is a ball arranged in said ball chamber and the top of said valvestem is provided with a valve and such valve is equipped with a pin arranged to cooperate with said ball check valve.

BRYCE W. MOCLYMONT. 

